Jeff Warren
DemocraticQ1 PFAS chemicals are widely used in consumer products but have raised health concerns due to their persistence in the environment and humans, and some Pennsylvanian legislators are considering restrictions on its use, such as in House Bill 2145. Should Pennsylvania restrict PFAS in consumer products? What scientific evidence would you use to inform your decision?
Peer-reviewed studies cited by the EPA establish that exposure to PFAS can cause health risks, including kidney and testicular cancer, fertility troubles, and developmental delays. Protecting Pennsylvanians from these toxic chemicals is both a public health necessity and a moral duty, so I have been glad to see bills like HB 1261 and HB 2145 on the House floor, often with bipartisan support.
HB 1261 protected our brave first responders from PFAS found in firefighter equipment, and HB 2145, which targets the PFAS found in more everyday items, holds corporations accountable, as manufacturers under this bill must prove their products do not contain added PFAS. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has detected PFAS across major Commonwealth water sources, so stopping contamination at the source is key, and we shouldn’t place the burden on consumers when it could be handled at the manufacturing level.
Q2 Measles vaccination rates in Pennsylvania have declined in recent years, from 95.5% in 2020 to 92.5% in 2025. At the same time, measles outbreaks have emerged across the state, with 62 confirmed cases in PA in 2026. As a policymaker, how do you approach engaging with communities that have concerns that center on infectious disease outbreaks and vaccine safety, and what policies, if any, would you support related to these issues?
As an elected official who represents my entire district, it’s important for me to listen to the communities concerned about vaccine safety, but it’s equally important to acknowledge and speak on the facts. Vaccines, tested and approved by medical professionals, protect individuals by preparing and training our immune systems, and they protect the entire community by helping us build herd immunity to dangerous diseases as a society.
We are seeing more anti-vaccine rhetoric from public figures nowadays that can cause panic, but that rhetoric is based on misinformation and meant to sow distrust in the public health system. I do trust our medical community when they tell us vaccines have been properly tested and approved, and I would support legislation that helps keep Pennsylvanians safe from infectious disease outbreaks, such as investments in public health access and infectious disease research.
Q3 There have been avian influenza outbreaks in Pennsylvania, with potential impacts on poultry and dairy operations, both industries that provide billions of dollars of economic value to the state. What policies, if any, do you support to strengthen the state’s preparedness and outbreak response? Are there specific strategies you would prioritize to protect farm workers, agricultural communities, and the broader public?
Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation with a dedicated avian flu recovery fund, and I would support further funding this program to help our farmers recover and upgrade their farms to be safer from future outbreaks.
We should also guarantee full funding for our state’s dairy and poultry testing programs and Department of Agriculture rapid response teams to ensure we catch and address these outbreaks early. Other strategies we could pursue include providing state-subsidized protective equipment for farmers on the front lines of these outbreaks, clean wash stations, and basic, accessible biosecurity training for all employees.
Supporting the broader public means continuing to invest in and fund our state Department of Health, as well as engaging with national organizations that can provide critical support in the case of a larger outbreak. We need to make sure that our agricultural community, an industry that sustains over 600,000 jobs in the Commonwealth, remains strong, supported, and prepared.
Q4 Pennsylvania is the nation’s second-largest producer of natural gas and nuclear energy, as well as the third-largest producer of coal, per the Energy Information Administration. In contrast, PA currently ranks 45th in the country in terms of wind, solar, and hydropower energy production. How do you think these energy sources should be distributed across PA’s energy production portfolio, and what policies, if any, would you support to facilitate this?
In the face of an affordability crisis where costs of energy are rising exponentially, we need to be looking into expanding renewable energy as a solution. Not only does renewable energy lower our emissions and keep energy supplies reliable, it keeps money in the pockets of Pennsylvanians and helps to create new jobs in our communities.
We can’t abandon the energy sources that helped shape this state and that so many rely on for employment right now, but by modernizing our grid with renewables alongside them, we can bring ourselves into the future.
In Harrisburg, I’ll fight to get creative renewables programs like community solar across the finish line, so families can get access to cheaper, cleaner power. I’ll work for investments in clean energy projects that will bring more jobs and lower our utility costs. The way we build affordability into the energy transition is by diversifying our energy supply in a practical, responsible way that leaves no Pennsylvanian behind.
Q5 Pennsylvania has proposed more reporting, utility oversight, and zoning guidance for large data centers, along with shifting some generation, capacity, and reliability costs onto data center developers rather than ordinary ratepayers. How should the costs and benefits of large data center development be divided between developers and the public, and what requirements, if any, would you support on power, water, and public reporting before a project moves forward?
Out-of-state tech corporations should never be allowed to steamroll local communities, hurt our environment, and drive up bills for working families. As legislators, our job is to empower municipalities to make demands that match their unique needs and reject projects if they aren’t a good fit.
All of my ideas on this issue are rooted in respect for and power of the community. First of all, facilities need to bring their own water and power so local utilities and resources are not impacted. Developers should cover 100% of their grid upgrades and capacity costs. Entities like PUC should keep watch during construction and operation to make sure there aren’t costs put onto residents.
Developers should sign legally binding community benefit agreements, negotiated with residents, that invest directly in local schools, road repairs, and emergency services. Developers should also implement plans to limit construction traffic and control other noise pollution.
Most of all, companies that do get approved need to publicly and continuously report their energy consumption, water usage, and environmental impact transparently so that communities can decide at any point if the facility is not meeting standards and should be shut down. If a data center wants to build in Pennsylvania, they must pay their own way, bring their own resources, and earn the consent of the people who live here.